The present invention generally relates to a suitcase or a luggage piece. More specifically, the invention relates to a suitcase or a luggage piece having a garment carrier integrally incorporated therein.
Of course, various types of luggage and suitcases are generally known and available. A standard piece of luggage typically has at least one compartment for holding articles, such as clothing, as required for a traveller. Access may be provided to an interior of the compartment by a fastener, such as a zipper, which selectively opens and closes the compartment for access thereto.
Another known type of luggage piece is a garment bag. Garment bags are typically provided for carrying, for example, suits, dresses and other like articles in which wrinkling of the articles is a concern and is attempted to be minimized. To this end, known garment bags have a fastener, such as a zipper, running the length of the bag providing access to an interior of the bag. Garments can generally be placed directly on their respective hangers onto a hook within the interior of the garment bag. The garment bag may then be fastened in a closed position. Such garment bags generally include a single fold for dividing the length of the garment bag in half for simplified carrying, such as "over-the-shoulder", and storage thereof.
Numerous attempts have been made to combine a garment bag and a luggage piece as a single unit. Examples of such bags are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,206,835; 4,693,368; 4,854,831; 4,863,018; 4,925,021; 4,998,603; 5,054,589; and 5,113,982. Each of these carriers which combine a garment bag and suitcase or other luggage piece is cumbersome or difficult to manipulate for adding articles to the luggage compartment and/or the garment carrying compartment, removing articles from the luggage compartment and/or the garment carrying compartment, and/or carrying or otherwise transporting the combined garment carrying bag and luggage piece during travel.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,206,835 to Shapiro relates to a flexible garment bag and carrying case constructed to enable their separable connection to one another so that the assembly may be carried as a compact unit. The garment bag comprises first and second handles of flexible material connected to one another at their edges. The carrying case has a length substantially equal to the width of the garment bag, and the garment bag has a length sufficient to substantially cover the bottom wall and the side walls of the carrying case in the assembled relationship of the garment bag and carrying case. Connectors are secured to the carrying case, and longitudinally spaced connector means are secured to the second panel to extend from each end of the garment bag for separable connection to the connectors secured to the carrying case.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,693,368 to King et al. relates to an article of luggage including a garment bag enclosure and a packing case enclosure cooperating with one another when in use. The packing case enclosure is connected to an inner panel of the garment bag enclosure. During transport, the-garment bag enclosure folds over the top of the packing case enclosure, and the luggage article is transported by carrying devices attached preferably to the exterior panel of the garment bag enclosure. During use, the interior panel of the garment bag enclosure is disconnected, and the packing case enclosure moves or pivots outwardly to an extended orientation. A divider panel provides access to the interior of the packing case enclosure while access to the garment bag enclosure is simultaneously available as a result of detachment of the interior panel. The luggage article can be used to house garments on hangers and other small items within the packing case thereby avoiding the requirement for unpacking and repacking the luggage article.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,854,431 to Pulichino, Jr. et al. relates to a suitcase having two compartments. A garment bag is twice folded upon itself and packed in one of the compartments. The front panel of the suitcase when opened permits removal of the garment bag in its entirety from the suitcase for hanging directly over a bar in a closet or the like.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,863,018 to King et al. relates to a luggage case having devices for holding garments on hangers. A buckle and strap arrangement holds hook portions of a number of closet type hangers snugly and compactly near a wall of the luggage case. A packing bar comprises a laterally extending rod held by flexible rod supports. The rod supports-are detachably and pivotably mounted to opposite side walls of the case and have a length which permits adjustable positioning of the rod relative to the bottom wall of the case depending on the number and thickness of the clothes being packed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,925,021 to Pulichino, Jr. relates to a soft luggage-type suitcase having three compartments enclosed by panels or lids hinged to a container having top, bottom and side walls. One of the compartments is closed by a lid having a wide rim at its free end and a narrow rim forming a hinge of the lid to the container. A diagonal rim connects the narrow rim to the wide rim. A universal hanger is connected to the wide rim, and an extender panel is hinged to the top wall of the container and cooperates with the lid and universal hanger for packing long garments.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,998,603 to Nordstrom relates to an article of luggage including a garment bag portion and a valet case selectively removable from the garment bag portion or which can be stored within the interior of the garment bag portion. The valet case is deployable to a supported position adjacent the garment bag portion for use.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,054,589 to Bomes et al. relates to a luggage case having a luggage frame which is substantially continuous and centrally located to support the top, bottom and end walls of the luggage. Two flexible side walls are provided with a zipper opening and closing the end, and a flexible center partition is removable and adapted to provide either two separate, individually accessible compartments for the luggage case or a single compartment accessible through one of the side wall openings. Hanging devices are included within the interior of the luggage case for holding a hanging article with straps which secure the end of the article opposite the hanger within an interior side wall to provide a garment-type bag.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,113,982 to Pulichino et al. relates to a garment bag including inner and outer panels and a pair of sides and ends joined together and joined to the outer panel defining an interior packing space. The inner and outer panels are foldable along a central axis such that the bag can be moved from a folded position and an unfolded position providing access to the inner packing space. The inner panel is divided into two separate sections which may be zipped and unzipped independent of the other to provide access to the inner packing space.
In view of the foregoing, a need exists for an improved suitcase incorporating an integral garment carrier that is simple to pack, simple to unpack and easily maneuverable during transport.